iPhone 4S available in Apple Stores by reservation only

Apple has updated their website to reflect that if you want to buy an iPhone 4S at an Apple Store, you're going to have to reserve it online first.

iPhone 4S is available in store by reservation only. Reserve yours after 9:00 p.m. tonight for pickup tomorrow. When you come in, you’ll choose a carrier and plan, and we’ll get your iPhone up and running before you leave the store.

This seems to be Apple's way of minimizing lines and I think it's a great idea. Instead of showing up to the Apple Store hoping that they have some in stock, you can reserve it online the week before.

Former app and photography editor at iMore, Leanna has since moved on to other endeavors. Mother, wife, mathamagician, even though she no longer writes for iMore you can still follow her on Twitter @llofte.

Well, this is all great except when I select a store - and I mean any Apple store in the UK - the 4S is not available. I for one much preferred the old method: you sign up at the store and they email you when the phone is there. They keep it for you till the end of the day. I don't want to keep checking the Apple site until I get lucky.

It's 11pm in the UK now and I've been checking every half hour or so since 9pm. All stores that I've checked are still saying not available. Not sure if this means they have none in stock still, or the website just hasn't been updated yet

That totally blows I can't get my upgrade for the fee that is shown, the lower fee, for an upgrade until Oct. 22 so waiting is fine for me but I want to reserve it with ATT before 9 tonight or have to go to an Apple store, our closest is 100 miles away, that sucks.

The only problem we had with reserving something was when Best Buy had their second batch of Ipad2's come in they said leave a $100 deposit and we'll call you figuring it would be the 3 weeks everyone else was waiting and they called me the next day IT IS IN! LOL

I walked right in to a Frys Electronics here in Indiana and picked up 4S up this weekend. Also for everyone who was complaining about not being able to upgrade until later this year from a 4 to 4S...I was able to. If you have had your contract for 1 year you are eligible for a iPhone to iPhone upgrade thorough AT&T. Good luck

It let me reserve one to pick up tomorrow. I'm hoping I can check out Motorola's Droid RAZR press conference before I decide whether or not to go ahead with the 4S. I'm also intrigued by the Google/Samsung Galaxy Nexus/Ice Cream Sandwich press conference..... Decisions, decisions....

I don't think in 2011 any company should make their customers jump through hoops to buy their product, no matter how beautiful or super optimized it is, unless of course that company is trying to create a frenzy via shortage situation :-D

I don't think in 2011 any company should make their customers jump through hoops to buy their product, no matter how beautiful or super optimized it is, unless of course that company is trying to create a frenzy via shortage situation :-D

apple really sucks i have tried since manday but whenever i want to reserve i never finds any store where to reserve i always see that iphone 4s is not available in any store around mi so wat the hell is this i really hate apple for this i starts reserving from 9pm but i never succeeded its now three days dammmm